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  Dark Energy

  by John O’Riley

  All Rights Reserved © 2013

  No part of the book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Name of Cover Artist/ Shutterstock.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Acknowledgements

  I want to thank all of my readers and fans for your encouragement. I also want to specifically mention Joy O’Riley, Dolores Peterson, Christa Fields-Howser, Tracey Koch, Lori Page, Rosemary Blair, Suzette Gradilla, Sue Otterness, and Jennifer Ashlock.

  Chapter 1

  Josephine, Helen, Alice, and Mark each had a mug of coffee resting on the dining room table in front of them as Josephine shuffled the playing cards so they could play their morning game of rummy. The sparkling crystal chandelier provided an abundance of cheery illumination in the room. Josephine hadn’t owned this large, spacious, pink two-story house for very long and she still found herself admiring the many beautiful features incorporated in the sound structure. When she’d first come to look at it, the dead lawn and the pink colored exterior had put her off just a bit; however, those were things that could be easily fixed and pink houses were pretty common in Sarasota, Florida. The other drawback to the home was that it was cursed and black magic always harbors side-effects. Fortunately, the dwelling was situated on a mini vortex which was a rare phenomenon and Josephine was virtually always plugged into it which was an ability only category six wizards possessed.

  The three elderly women were all in their seventies and up but because they were immortal, they’d always enjoy the vibrant health and youthful beauty of a woman in her early twenties. Josephine was the only natural immortal because she was born a six while Helen had been cursed with immortality and transformed into a succubus. Alice was a former vampire but had been cured with a praesentia infinitus enchantment which basically allowed her to live for as long as she could resist the enticing lure of the afterlife. Once Alice decided she wanted to pass on, the enchantment would transform her body into energy and her corporeal existence would end. Alice had put her fiery, red hair in pigtails this morning and applied a glossy crimson shade of lipstick to her luscious lips. She wore pink spandex shorts, a pink blouse, matching colored shoes, and long pink dangly earrings. Helen and Mark both sported casual outfits while Josephine worked today so she’d dressed up a bit with black pants and a cobalt-blue dress shirt. Josephine was gifted with a slender frame, long legs, and a gorgeous face. Her silky black hair was confined in a pony tail.

  Josephine passed out the cards and her boyfriend, Mark, took his turn. Mark was eighteen years old and Josephine had been torn with indecision on whether to date a guy so much younger than her but in the end, she’d discovered they were well-suited for each other.

  “Is there any news on the Valituras?” Alice asked.

  “Not a peep,” Josephine responded.

  “I knew they would continue to lay low and just keep on living in secret. I think the only thing people like that know how to do is play it safe,” Alice said.

  Mark ended his turn by discarding a queen. Josephine and Alice eyed the card with consideration and longing as Helen picked up a card from the deck.

  They played in silence for awhile as the discard pile grew. Josephine became tense as she was very close to being able to score some big points. She and Alice leaned forward and fierce expressions dominated their faces as they waited for their chance to make a move. Mark and Helen lounged in their chairs in a relaxed manner as they weren’t very competitive and could care less who won. When Alice’s turn came, she picked up the entire discard pile which elicited a growl of frustration from Josephine who planned on doing the same thing. When Alice played three queens and four kings, Josephine slammed the palm of her hand against the top of the dining room table with frustration.

  “I knew you were hogging my queens!”

  Alice’s lips curved in a satisfied grin as she arranged her cards.

  “I’m not looking forward to going to work this morning,” Josephine grumbled.

  “Is something happening today?” Helen asked.

  “I have to see Lorcan and try to figure out that stupid amnesia spell. They’ve got all kinds of experts and other OC enforcers working on the memory problem. I don’t see what difference I can possibly make.”

  “You’re the one who captured him both times,” Alice pointed out.

  “I had a lot of help, too.”

  “There aren’t very many category six wizards who work as enforcers and I think you’re even stronger than most,” Helen said.

  Josephine leveled a warm smile at her friend. “Thanks, Helen.”

  Alice finally ended her turn and they continued playing a new hand.

  “I was thinking since you’re both immortal now like me, you should think about joining the workforce. I don’t see why I’m the only one that should have to suffer,” Josephine remarked.

  “I don’t know if my nerves could handle it,” Helen said. “I’d probably end up drinking too much and doing a bunch of crazy stuff and the next morning I’d wake up not remembering what happened. Kind of like that old movie with the three guys at that bachelor party called The Migraine.”

  “I never heard of that movie.” Josephine regarded her with bemusement.

  “She means The Hangover,” Alice advised.

  Josephine nodded in acknowledgement as she picked up a card to take her turn. It was just what she’d been waiting for – an ace. Josephine slapped down four aces and discarded which ended the game. Alice squealed with outrage as she was stuck with a handful of cards.

  “Maybe we should mix it up and try playing something different one of these days,” Mark suggested.

  “Like what?” Josephine asked.

  “How about Bingo?”

  “No way! That game is for the elderly. I’m too hip for that kind of thing,” Alice said.

  “I think it sounds fun,” Helen interjected.

  “Check out my new smart phone.” Alice whipped out a sleek, maroon phone and showed it to her friends.

  “That’s so cool!” Mark exclaimed.

  “What does it do besides make calls?” Helen peered at the phone with curiosity.

  “The question is what DOESN’T it do? This thing has over a hundred apps. I could even watch television on it,” Alice boasted.

  “Why would you want to watch shows on a screen that’s so small?”

  “It’s called being mobile. You can take it with you anywhere – unlike a television,” Alice explained.

  Josephine fixed an earnest look at Helen. “Now that you’re a six like me, I strongly encourage you to join the workforce. Working for the police has given me a sense of purpose in my old age. This country needs more OC enforcers.”

  “I could never do what you do,” Helen protested.

  “Right now is the perfect time to start. They’re desperate for sixes. You could choose to work in the manufacturing field. I know you can make advanced enchantments because you’ve helped me before.”

  “I don’t know. I’d still be an enforcer and a backup for police work, wouldn’t I?”

  “That’s true but if you’re only backup, chances are you’ll never have to do any of that stuff,” Josephine explained.

  “There’s also the issue of traveling. Enforcers often get assigned special projects out of state. Power vortexes don’t grow on trees, you know. I’m lucky to have an accessible one at Siesta Key beach and then there’s the one here at your house but if I’m forced to work somewhere where there aren’t any around, I’ll start getting succubus urges again.” Helen grimaced with displeasure. “I remember how horrible it was to suddenly get this uncontrollable urge to smooch and make out with random guys in public. There’s no way to know when it would happen. I’m still embarrassed over some of those unfortunate incidents.”

  Alice snorted with derision. “You don’t see any of those men complaining, do you? At least you don’t have to drink blood like I used to. I don’t see what the big deal is.”

  “You were possessed the whole time you were a vampire.”

  “I know but I could still see and hear and feel everything that my body was doing.” Alice threw Mark an appreciative glance. “Your skin was so soft and your blood was especially delicious.” Her expression turned apologetic. “And I’m very sorry that I attacked you and drank from you.”

  “You were possessed. It wasn’t your fault.” Mark’s face flushed with embarrassment. “Please don’t mention it anymore.”

  “I’m sorry. I can’t stop thinking about it and all the other terrible things I did. Although drinking from Dale and those jerks who were bothering Josephine was sort of justified.”

  “We all realize you weren’t responsible for your actions when you were a vampire. Try not to dwell on the past,” Josephine advised.

  “I’ll try.” Alice’s lips curved in a sad smile.

  Josephine focused on Helen again. “You should apply for work as an enforcer.”

  “I’ll think about it.” Helen clearly harbored misgivings about giving up retirement.

  Josephine fixed her attention on Alice.

  “You should think about it too. There’s no reason I
should be the only one suffering,” Josephine said.

  “Oh, no! I’m too old for adventure and saving the world. You’re one of a kind.” Alice’s emerald colored green eyes conveyed her adamant refusal to engage in this course of action.

  When Josephine left for work, she made a brief call on her cell to the police station to report she was on her way to the Clearwater Corrections Facility which was the closest maximum security prison to Sarasota. It annoyed her that she was forced to commute so long to spend time with a man who’d caused her so much grief. A corrections officer named Matt, a dark-haired man with an average build and an alert expression on his face, escorted Josephine to the interrogation room where Lorcan was already set up with two guards watching over him. Currents of negative psychometric energy emanated from the walls of the prison and cascaded against the edges of Josephine’s mind. She did her best to continue to block out the disturbing sensations as she sat down at the table facing Lorcan who was handcuffed to the table top.

  The mere sight of Lorcan’s loathsome face elicited flares of righteous anger in Josephine. He was a man in his thirties with short-cropped brown hair, thin lips, a stubby nose and green eyes. He suffered from amnesia due to a memory suppression spell that all members of the Valituras contained in their minds which activated when captured. This prevented the government from discovering much needed secrets about this organization including the enchantments and curses they could create and the identity of other members. One fact they’d already established was that members of the Valituras had infiltrated every level of government in virtually every country throughout the world. The Valituras had managed to spring Lorcan out of jail previously but Josephine had apprehended him again which had caused the memory suppression spell to kick in a second time. Having the spell become active twice had an unforeseen side-effect of inhibiting short term memory as well which caused Lorcan to forget everyone he encountered.

  “Hello, Josephine,” Lorcan said.

  “This isn’t a social call, Toadstool,” Josephine snapped.

  “What did I ever do to you?” Lorcan’s expression was hurt.

  “You tried to curse me twice, you turned my best friends into a vampire and a succubus, and you almost killed my grandson.” Josephine’s beautiful brown eyes glittered with hostility.

  “It’s hard to believe I did all that.”

  “You’ve done that and more, Toadstool.”

  “Why are you calling me that?” Lorcan regarded her with puzzlement.

  “Because that’s the nickname I gave you when I met you and realized what an ass you are.”

  Josephine closed her eyes so she could focus and to discourage any further conversation. She awakened her psychic receptors which unfortunately made her more susceptible to the dominant psychometric energy inhabiting the room which stemmed from the boredom, anger, and sick thoughts of the many previous occupants. She reached out with her mind to access Lorcan’s. It took her several moments to find the memory suppression enchantment which was programmed to mutate its energy signature to blend in with Lorcan’s when detected. Josephine made sure not to probe at it too closely so she wouldn’t have to hunt for it again. She wasn’t an expert on this type of spell so it frustrated her to try and reverse it. She examined the details of the enchantment which was slow and tedious work. When she finally made her first attempt to disarm it, the spell immediately mutated and slipped out of her grasp. She managed to keep track of it for several seconds before it vanished from her sight.

  Josephine heaved a frustrated sigh and tried again. When she found it, she noticed it had once again changed its configuration. It reminded her of a network of veins deeply entrenched throughout Lorcan’s mind. She continued to work until it was time to head over to the Sarasota police station. Josephine was immensely relieved to exit the prison.

  Chapter 2

  When Josephine arrived at the police station, she made her way over to her desk. The two detectives she worked with, Jake and Alex, were currently on a case so she started catching up on some paperwork. Jake was a young man in his twenties and happened to be Josephine’s grandson. He had a lot of the same striking features as his grandmother with the coal black hair, smoldering brown eyes, full lips, slender frame, and handsome face. He had a pleasant, easy-going personality and was good friends with Mark.

  When Jake and Alex strode into the room, Josephine greeted them warmly. Alex was one of those rare humans with no magical ability whatsoever. He could use enchantments but not create them. Ever since the Disaster that had occurred over fifty years ago, virtually everyone in the world had transformed into wizards of one degree or another. Perhaps that explained why Alex annoyed her so much; however, she was making a tremendous effort to be civil with him. He had short-cropped brown hair, green eyes, an average frame and was in his mid-forties.

  “I’m glad you’re finally here. We could have used your help on these cases,” Alex said.

  “Thanks, Alex. It’s nice to be appreciated.” Josephine leveled a casual smile at him before returning her attention back to her computer.

  “All this hard work gives me the munchies. I’ll be right back.” Alex headed for the break room.

  Josephine shot her grandson a questioning look. “Was it really that bad today?”

  “I hate to admit it but we’ve gotten used to your help. When you get assigned special projects, it’s a big deal,” Jake advised. “But that’s not your problem. You’re an OC enforcer now so you’ve got more responsibilities besides ordinary detective work.”

  Alex returned with a chocolate cake donut covered in chocolate frosting. Josephine envied his metabolism. If she munched on snacks all the time like he did, she’d put on a lot of weight. Their next assignment was a missing persons case. Meg Brooks, a nine-year-old had never returned from school. Her teacher had reported she attended class all day and no one had seen anything suspicious. Her parents, Aaron and Connie, were sick with fear and grief. Alex, Josephine, and Jake took a police car down to the Brooks residence. Connie was a short, medium set woman in her late twenties with brown hair and green eyes. She invited the detectives and Josephine to the living room to discuss her daughter. A large, olive-green sofa occupied the medium-sized room with three armchairs the same color and a glass coffee table ensconced between the seating. A moderate sized entertainment center stood against the wall with a television and a CD player along with family pictures. Connie’s eyes were red as she’d obviously been crying.

  “Aaron and I were going to call and tell you Meg’s been found,” Connie said anxiously. “We received a ransom letter that said she would be killed if we went to the police but we didn’t see it until after we’d already filed a report at the station.”

  “Can I see the letter?” Alex asked.

  “Yes, I have it right here.” Connie picked up the envelope lying on the table and handed it to him.

  Alex pulled out the folded note which was typed and held it out so Jake could read it as well. Alex frowned as he took in the note then handed it over to Josephine. She opened her mind to the psychic impressions on the paper and discovered it was wiped clean with an ignotus enchantment. She read through the short letter to see that the abductor demanded ten thousand dollars to be paid in cash behind a marked tree at the cemetery. It was rare to find a ransom like this with a middle-aged family. There was nothing remarkable about Aaron’s career as a retail manager and Connie was a homemaker.

  “There isn’t a trace of the kidnapper’s energy on here,” Josephine advised.

  “We’ll question possible witnesses to the abduction at the school and in this neighborhood. We’ll do everything we can to find your daughter,” Alex said.

  Tears dribbled down Connie’s face. “I don’t understand why we have to wait three days before we make the payment.”

  “Usually, they want the money right away. If we can’t find Meg before it’s time to leave the cash at the park, I would advise that you follow those instructions,” Alex said.

  “Of course.”

  Josephine tensed as a brief, potent tendril of grief from Connie brushed against her. An instant later, she furrowed her brows with concentration as she scanned the house again. She hadn’t noticed the first time but there was a distinct lack of psychometric energy reflecting the suffering from Meg’s parents.